NewsMANY THANKS!!!
To the supporters of the Water Center at CMU who make our work possible! To find out what we've been doing to deserve your support, check out materials from the events we've held over the past year (many ppts available), as well as resources on our Basin Roundtable Education Projects (lots of media stories)!

COLORADO BASIN STUDY RELEASED
The Bureau of Reclamation's Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study was released December 12. The study projects that water demand will exceed supply by 3.2 million acre/ feet/ year by 2060 unless changes are made in how we use and manage water. Lower basin demands already exceed their legal entitlement. The study and selected groups' responses are available here. A quick summary from the Water Center is available here.

MEXICO AGREEMENT HELPS DELTA
The seven Colorado Basin states, US government and Mexico recently signed an agreement to revamp how they share the Colorado River. The agreement includes dedicating water to restore the river delta with the Gulf of California. Links: New York Times story, a Colorado Water Conservation Board press release, and the agreement text.

CO BASIN ROUNDTABLES TALK CONSERVATION
As the state's basin roundtables seek to do their part to complete a statewide water plan by 2016, front range and western slope roundtables have begun to try to iron out their differences on the role conservation should play in meeting future demands. A recent Water Center newspaper column summarized the latest talks. For a presentation on the overall planning process, click here.

WINDY GAP FIRMING AGREEMENT
Grand County, Trout Unlimited and Northern Water recently came to agreement on a deal that will balanced increased transmountain diversions with mitigation actions to benefit the Upper Colorado River. See the joint press release here.

NEW POLICY HELPS MINE CLEANUPSA new policy will help groups clean up abandoned mines by providing them additional protections from liability for continued pollution from the sites. This press release includes a link to the policy document.

SNOWPACK IMPROVING, STILL LOWRecent storms have brought mountain snowpacks up from their abysmal lows at the end of November, but are still only 67% of average for this date in the Upper Colorado Basin and 62% in the Gunnison Basin.

Grant OpportunitiesRIVER DISTRICT GRANT PROGRAM
The Colorado River District is accepting grant applications for projects to protect, enhance or develop water resources within the Colorado River Basin in Colorado. Deadline 1/31/12. Details here.

ALTERNATIVE AG TRANSFER GRANTSThe Colorado Water Conservation Board is seeking proposals for projects that would increase understanding of how to successfully design non-permanent transfers of water from farms that provide a long-term, reliable water supply while sustaining meaningful agricultural production. Deadline April 15, 2013. Details here.

WATERSHED GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
List of funding opportunities maintained by the Colorado Watershed Assembly.

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Many thanks to the Water Center at CMU's Lake Powell ($2,500+) and Cataract Canyon ($1,000+) level supporters:ChevronWalton Family Foundation